More Than a Diploma

A graduation-season look at schools and programs equipping students for purposeful careers and faithful service.

At MinistryWatch, our mission is to help Christians become more faithful, generous, and effective stewards of the resources God has entrusted to them. It’s why we advocate for transparency, accountability, and efficiency in Christian ministries. Because of that, we cover a lot of stories we’d rather not have to—stories of waste, fraud, and abuse.

But that’s not the whole picture. This column exists to amplify ministries doing excellent work—to spotlight ministries making a difference in their own communities and around the world.

It is graduation season, and in honor of that, this week’s Ministries Making a Difference highlights universities and continuing education programs doing meaningful work to prepare students for faithful service, purposeful careers, and lives of Christian influence. We have featured a few standout schools in past roundups, but this week we turn to several more institutions and programs helping students keep learning, finish strong, and step into their next season with greater clarity, skill, and calling.

 

Shepherds College

In 1957, Milwaukee parents Lornie and Arlene Cayton, moved by the experience of raising a son with intellectual disabilities, posed a simple question to their Sunday school class: Could they do something to help children with similar challenges?

They founded Shepherds, which opened Shepherds Home and School in 1964 for 36 children and later expanded to serve adults with intellectual disabilities. In 2008, Shepherds launched Shepherds College, a three-year post-secondary program designed specifically for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The school reports 268 graduates living with greater independence, a 1:8 staff-to-student ratio, a 90% gainful employment rate, and a 98% family satisfaction rate. Shepherds Ministries has a 5 Star Financial Efficiency Rating and a C Transparency Grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a Donor Confidence Score of 94 (Give with Confidence).

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Northrise University

In Zambia, Northrise University students are counting down to graduation at the end of the month. The school says it is the first Christ-centered private university in Zambia and has been preparing graduates for leadership and spiritual influence since its founding in 2003, when Dr. Moffat and Mrs. Doreen Zimba felt called to bring greater educational opportunity to their homeland.

Northrise also says Zambia’s Higher Education Authority accredits its programs, while the Northrise University Initiative supports scholarships, capital projects, and operations.

In the MinistryWatch database, Northrise University has a 95 Donor Confidence Score, an A Transparency Grade, and a 5-star overall Financial Efficiency Rating.

 

Northwest University

On May 9, Northwest University held its 2026 commencement, but the school is already looking ahead: registration for new students opens May 29, with the school noting there is still time to apply and receive scholarships. The Washington-based school is a private Christian university, associated with the Assemblies of God, where students can pursue undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, as well as online programs, while growing “in character, in careers, and in Christ.” Its offerings range from nursing and counseling to ministry, business, education, and intercultural studies, and the school says every major includes a real-world internship. Northwest is also giving prospective students another reason to look twice: for 2026–27, it is promoting its first-ever 1.5% reduction in on-campus undergraduate tuition.

In the MinistryWatch database, Northwest University has a 93 Donor Confidence Score, a C Transparency Grade, and a 4-star overall Financial Efficiency Rating.

 

Point University

At 55, Chick-fil-A leader Barbie Shrewsbury proved it’s never too late to chase a dream. She recently obtained her bachelor’s degree from Point University. Shrewsbury had set college aside while raising children and assumed she would never return, but encouragement from her employer, Point trustee Lauren McGuire, and her coworkers led her to enroll in the Elevate program at Point University. Elevate is a subscription-model program that lets employers offer workers a debt-free, fully online degree while they continue working full-time.

Shrewsbury said the transition to online learning was challenging at first, but supportive professors and engaging courses—especially Bible classes—helped her persist. She graduated in May 2026 and plans to continue at Chick-fil-A, saying the experience sharpened her leadership and proved it is never too late to finish a goal. Point has a 4 Star Financial Efficiency Rating and a C Transparency Grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a Donor Confidence Score of 93 (Give with Confidence).

 

William Jessup University

The world needs more leaders who love Jesus, and William Jessup University says they want to help make that happen. Jessup says it is deeply committed to investing in the next generation of Christian leaders, recently awarding full-tuition scholarships to three incoming freshmen who stood out for their servant leadership and character, the school said.

In April, the California school jumped from 1 Star to 4 Stars for financial efficiency, moving into the top 40% of ministries in the colleges/universities sector and raising its Donor Confidence Score to 98.